VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Diospyros virginiana | Common Persimmon 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
The wood of common persimmon is hard, smooth, and even textured.  It is
used for turnery, plane stocks, veneer, golf club heads, and
occasionally low-grade lumber [8,36].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
In Indiana and Ohio, the leaves and twigs of common persimmon are an
important supplementary fall and winter food for white-tailed deer
[29,34].  The fruit is an important food for squirrel, fox, coyote,
racoon, opossum, and quail [7,22].  Hogs relish the fruit of common
persimmon, but it is of little value to other livestock and is
considered a nuisance [15].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The seeds and fruits of common persimmon are generally low in crude
protein, crude fat, and calcim, but high in nitrogen-free extract and
tannin [3,15].


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Common persimmon sends down a deep taproot which makes it a good species
for erosion control.  It is, however, difficult to transplant [15].
Propagation is by seed stratified at 41 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5-10
deg C) for 365 days and sown in the spring.  Germination is about 80
percent.  Root cuttings 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) long and 1/3 inch (0.85
cm) in diameter can also be used provided the ends are sealed with pitch
or wax to prevent rot [36].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
The unripe fruit and inner bark of common persimmon are sometimes used
in the treatment of fever, diarrhea, and hemorrhage.  Indelible ink can
also be made from the fruit.  Common persimmon is sometimes planted as
an ornamental; the flowers are used in the production of honey [30,36].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Dense thickets of common persimmon are considered a nuisance in open
fields and pastures.  On abandoned fields, where persimmon is an
invader, it is classed as a weed species because it fails to reach
commercial size [5].  Common persimmon is easily defoliated with a 20
percent solution of Garlon 4 but will sprout readily from the stems and
roots after treatment.  Treatment is most effective in May when leaves
are fully expanded [4,19,27].

Damaging agents:  The principal defoliators of common persimmom are the
webworm (Seiarctica echo) and the hickory horned devil (Citheronia
regalis).  The fungus Cephalosporium diospyri causes persimmon wilt and
kills many trees in the Southeast.  The disease is characterized by a
wilting of the leaves followed by defoliation and death of the branches
from the top down.  An infected tree lives 1 or 2 years after the
wilting appears.  Diseased trees should be burned, and bruises on
healthy tree should be covered with pitch or wax to prevent entry by
wind-borne spores [15,30].

Related categories for Species: Diospyros virginiana | Common Persimmon